Two-Bite Sweets

Candied Orange Peels

Bitter citrus rinds are transformed into a candy-sweet, chocolate-dipped confection.

Baklava

Phyllo pastry layered with ground nuts luxuriating in sweet syrup is a centuries-old dessert that now exists in many variations throughout the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean.

Pecan Toffee

Pure sugar syrup heated to the hard-crack stage becomes a hard, translucent candy. In this recipe, the addition of butter produces an opaque candy with a silkier but still crunchy texture.

Peppermint Patties

This chocolate-coated, fondant-centered candy is best enjoyed with a mug of hot cocoa.

Coconut Candy Bars

For these chewy, sweet bars, paraffin wax–a now mostly forgotten candy-making ingredient–is mixed with chocolate so that it will set properly when cooled and take on a shiny appearance.

White Chocolate Crispies

This quick and easy recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to satisfy a crowd. See the recipe for White Chocolate Crispies »

Stained-Glass Window Candies

This recipe is a version of one that Sue Raye, SAVEUR Kitchen Director Liz Pearson’s mother, clipped from a neighborhood newsletter in the 1980s.

Chocolate Coconut Balls

These “Irish potatoes” are not what they would seem. This great recipe from Philadelphia’s Moonstruck Restaurant showcases the bite-size coconut cream balls rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa.

Bourbon Balls

These chocolatey confections are what author Shane Mitchell calls “Southern truffles–boozy and bad to the bone.”

Butter Balls

Dredging these melt-in-your-mouth cookies twice–first while still warm and again after they’ve cooled–insures a generous covering of powdery sugar.

Chocolate Truffles

Adding rolled oats that have first been ground in the food processor helps hold these chocolate balls together while giving them an earthy note. Get the recipe for Chocolate Truffles »

Peppermint Caramels

Chewy caramel topped with crushed peppermint candies is one of many versions of kola, a kind of semisoft toffee adored all over Sweden.

Almond Caramels

Mini caramels flavored with almond, orange zest, and syrup make simple, delicious treats (and wonderful gifts).

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Fluffy and sweet, vanilla bean marshmallows are a delicious (and necessary) addition to hot chocolate. See the recipe for Vanilla Bean Marshmallows »

When making these truffles, use supermarket-quality white chocolate, which has more stabilizers than expensive brands and sets up better.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cordials

Invertase, a liquid enzyme that’s found in small bottles at most candy-making supply stores, is used in these candies to liquefy the luscious fondant filling. Once you’ve made the cordials, it will take about ten days for the filling to liquefy. We based this recipe on one found in Peter Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections (Wiley, 2010). For more Valentine’s Day recipes, check out our guide. Get the recipe for Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cordials »

Vanilla Cream Fudge

We based this recipe on one that appears in Peter Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections (Wiley, 2010). Get the recipe for Vanilla Cream Fudge »

Hazelnut and Apricot Rochers

Hazelnut liqueur adds an extra-sweet, nutty flavor to chopped hazelnuts, dried apricots, and semi-sweet chocolate.

Cardamom-Laced Milk Chocolate Truffles

We based this recipe on one that appears in Peter Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections (Wiley, 2010). Feel free to improvise with the coating, using other kinds of ground spices, nuts, or chili powder. Make sure to keep all your materials cold while you’re mixing and shaping the truffles, so that the candies keep their shape; if they get too warm, refrigerate ingredients for 5-10 minutes. Get the recipe for Cardamom-Laced Milk Chocolate Truffles »

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Nougat Squares

These decadent candies taste best with a pinch of sea salt sprinkled on top.

Cardamom-Ginger Crunch

These shortbreads get their spicy kick from ground cardamom and ginger.

Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescents)

Akin to Mexican wedding cookies and Greek kourabiedes, these Austrian vanilla crescents made with ground walnuts and showered in confectioners’ sugar are served throughout central Europe during the weeks leading up to Christmas. See the recipe for Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescents) »

Shortbread Cookies (Punitions)

Traditional French shortbread cookies taste best using a good salted butter with a high butterfat content, such as Kerrygold.

Salted Caramels

Michael Laiskonis, executive pastry chef at New York City’s Le Bernardin, gave us the recipe for these caramel candies. Be sure to wrap them individually in wax paper to store them. Get the recipe for Salted Caramels »

Perfumed with floral lavender, these fragile, crispy thin wafers are a delicate cookie to serve on their own or as a crisp contrast to creamy desserts like crème brulée, pudding, or pie. See the recipe for Lavender Tuiles »

Modeled after the classic Creamsicle, these orange meringue kisses sandwiched with buttery white chocolate are a lively and bright addition to the holiday cookie spread.